Merry-go-round.



G. L'. JOHNSON,

Patented Feb, 2, 1915.

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G. L. JOHNSON. MEREY-GO-ROUND. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, 1912- 1 13x3 1htented Feb, 2, 1915.

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MERRY-GO-ROUND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

Application filed November 11, 1912. Serial No. 730,564.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OHARLEY L. J onnson, a citizen of the United States,and a resi- Diego and State of California, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Merry-Go-Rounds, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to merry-go-rounds, and some of the objects of myimprovement are, simplicity of construction, to attain new amusementfeatures, facility of control, neatness of appearance, facility ofassembling and taking down, and economy of power for operation. Theseand other objects I attain by means of the mechanism and apparatusillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is asubstantially central vertical section; Fig. 2, a fragmentary detailsectional view of the mast and the'mechanism for controlling the speedof the sweeps; Fig. 3, a fragmentary top plan view of one of thespiders, the column, and the control mechanism; Fig. 4, a fragmentaryplan view of a smooth track and a wave track; Fig. 5, a fragmentaryelevation of a smooth track; and, Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation of awave track. 7

Similar reference numbers refer to similar parts throughout the severalviews of the drawings.

A mast, 1, a base, 2, in which the mast is mounted sweeps, 3, 4, and 5,which are mounted upon the upper portion of the.

mast, outside supports, 6, and inner supports, 7, constitute theframework and main parts of the structure of the mechanism andapparatus. The mast 1 is preferably hollow and made of metal tubing andis rotatably mounted in a journal bearing, 8, in the base frame 2.

Upon the lower part of the mast 1 is rigidly mounted a bevel gear, 9, bymeans of which the mast is rotated. The under surface of gear 9 ispreferably turned to form a smooth circular track under which arejournaled on frame 2 anti-friction wheels, 10 and 11, in brackets, 12and 13. By this means an anti-friction step bearing is provided formast 1. A horizontal shaft, 14, is mounted in bearings placedpn frame 2and provided with a bevel pinion, 15, which meshes with gear 9 to impartrotary motion to the gear and the mast.

Overhead on mast 1 are mounted spiders,

. 16, 17, and 18, one above the other, in which 7 are secured the sweeps3, 4, and 5 in radial series. dent of San Diego, in the county of SanThe spiders are loosely mounted upon mast 1 to adapt them for rotationindependent of the mast, and each spider is formed with internal ratchetteeth, 19, by which, through the instrumentality of a ratchet pawl, 20,each spider and its sweeps may be rotated in the forward direction.Underneath the spiders are rigidly secured on the mast collars, 21, 22,and 23, upon which the spiders hear. The upper series of sweeps, 5, issupported in horizontal position by truss rods, 24, which extend from aspider, 25, resting upon a collar, 26, similar to spider 18, to theouter ends of the sweeps at 27. The bottom series of sweeps, 3, issupported by means of wheels, 28, mounted on brackets, 29, which inturnare mounted on the under side of the outer portion of each sweep. Thewheels 28 travel upon a smooth circular'track, 30, which is secured onbrackets, 31, mounted upon the supports 7. The supports 7 are preferablysecured to frame 2 at their lower ends. The series of sweeps 4 ispreferably provided on its under side with a smooth track, 32, and theouter ends of the sweeps are supported in horizontal position by wheels,33,

mounted on the outer ends of the sweeps 3 I and upon which the track 32travels. It will thus be seen that the three series of sweeps may'haveindependent rotation about mast 1, both mutually and in relation to themast.

The outer ends of the sweeps of the several series are provided withvehicle pendents, 34, 3-5, and 36. The pendents 35 are rigidly securedin the ends of sweeps 4 and may be provided with hobby horses orchariots, or other carrying means. In the ends of sweeps 3 are rigidlymounted pendent guide rods, 37. Over these are telescoped tubes, 38, onwhich the hobby horses, 39, are mounted. On brackets, 31, is mounted acircular track, 40, formed with an undulatory tread surface. WVheels,41, are mounted on studs on tubes 38 in such position that they areadapted to roll upon track 40. It will now be seen that as sweeps 3carry the pendent rods 37 around, the wheels 41 roll upon track 40, andthus'an undulating motion is imparted to the tubes 38 and the horses 39mounted thereon, thus giving to the horses a galloping motion. Similarmechanism is provided on the outer ends of sweeps 5; In this instance,the circular undulatory track, 42, is secured on brackets, 43, attachedto outer supports 6. By this means, when sweeps 5 revolve above the masta galloping motion is imparted to horses, 44. The upper end of mast 1 isconnected with the outer supports 6 at their upper ends by means ofguide rods, 45, which are mounted at their one end in a stationaryspider, 46, and at their opposite ends near the upper end of supports 6.Mast lhas a journal bearing for itsupper end in spider 46. It; is nowobvious that when the several series o'f'sweeps are in motion, beingmounted for independent rotation on mast 1, one series may revolvefaster or more slowly than the others, and therefore one series of thehorses or other vehicles may pass those of another series in theircourse. By this means an additional element of pleasure for theoccupants is introduced by a race between the adjacent veliicles of thedifierent series. To facilitate this mode of operation, controllingmeans are provided by which the'speed of the several series of sweepsmay be voluntarily controlled by the operator. This comprises a seriesof rods, 47, 48, and 49, which are indirectly attached to the pawls 20of the several spiders 18, 17, and 16 respectively which will be moreparticularly described hereinafter. The' pawls 20 are bell crank leversfulcrumed in brackets, 50, mounted on the inner wall of mast'l andextending across the axis of the mast. The end of pawl 20 (Figs. 2 and3) protrudes through a slot, '51, and engages theratchetteeth19 in thespider. A tension spring, 52, attached at one of its ends "to the innerwall of the mast and at its opposite end to the free arm of the pawlcauses the pawl to normally protrude through slot 51 and engage theratchet teeth of the spider; A tube, 53, is loosely mounted in the freearm of the middle ratchet pawl, adapted to loosely receive the rod 47and permit it to slide therein. A tube, 54, larger than tube 53, issimilarly mounted in the lower pawl, through which tube 53 passes. Rod47 is loosely mounted in the uppermost pawl 20. On tube 54 is secured ahorizontal arm, 55. To this is connected rod 49. At the lower end oftube 53 is secured a horizontal arm, 56, in the extended end of which ismounted rod 48. The holes in the arms of pawls 20 in which these rodsand tubes are mounted are preferably elongated or tapered underneath, asindicated by dotted lines, to accommodate the angular movement of thearms on the rod 47 and the tubes when the pawls are operated. The rods47, 48, and 49 all pass downward on the inside of the mastand protrudefrom the bottom of the mast. Here they are pivotally connected withhorizontal levers, 57, 58, and 59, which are fulindependently crumed atone end on base 2. The free end of the levers may be provided withupright pedal rods and pedal pushes, 60, 61, and 62.

The operation of the control mechanism will now be understood. Normally,all the pawls 20 are in engagement with the ratchet teeth of thespiders, being held in such engagementby springs 52, and the pushes 60,61, and 62 are in raised position. Power may now be applied throughshaft, 14, and the several series of sweeps caused to revolve about themast. When asuitable speed has been attained by the horses, the operatormay press one of the pushes and thereby release one of the pawls 20, saythe uppermost one, from the spider 18. The outermost series'of horseswill now begin to lose speed, due to the friction in their variousparts,

and theseries of vehicles on sweeps 3 and 4 g u will pass them. Thus theoperator may unlock anyone or two of the seriesand permit them'to fallbehind the others and in this way may vary'the relative position of thehorses or vehicles and race. A tent, 63, may surmount the entirestructure in the usual way.

providev an exciting It'is obvious'that with the mechanism and apparatusdescribed a; superior amusement feature is provided and this isaccomplished v in a simple and comparatively economical manner, and thatcomparatively little power is required to operate'the mechanism,especially'when anti-frictional bearings are pro-- vided in the severalspiders and wheels.

Having thus described my invention, so that anyone skilled in the artpertaining thereto may understand its construction and use, I claim 1. Amerry-go-round, comprising a central mast, means for rotating said mast,sweeps in plural series extending radially from said mast, said seriesof sweeps being loosely mounted on the upper part'of said its mast andadapted for revolution mutually and independently relative to said mast,stationary supports arranged in circular series beyond the reach of saidsweeps, a similar series of stationary supports arranged concentricallywith tween said mast and said outer series of supports, a circularsmooth track mounted upon the upper part of said supports, a circularundulatory track mounted on the upper part of said supports, guidesrigidly mounted in the ends of said sweeps, and vehicle pendents mountedfor undulating motion on said guides.

2. A merry-go-round, comprising a central mast, means for rotating saidmast,

sweeps. in plural series extending radially from said mast, said seriesof sweeps being loosely mounted on the upper part of said mast andadapted for revolution mutually and be,-

vehicle pendent l.

independently andindependently relative'to 1 said mast, and means forvoluntarily 'controlling the speed of said series of sweeps, comprisinginternal ratchet teeth in the hubs of said sweep series, ratchet pawlsmounted on the inside of said mast and protruding through the wall ofsaid mast, rods connected with said pawls and extending down within saidmast, transverse levers connected with said rods, and terminal operatingmeans connected with said levers.

3. A merry-go-round, comprising a central mast, means for rotating saidmast, sweeps in plural series extending radially from said mast, saidseries of sweeps being loosely mounted on the upper part of said mastand adapted for revolution mutually independently and independentlyrelative to said mast, and means for voluntarily controlling the speedof said series of sweeps, comprising internal ratchet teeth in the hubson the inside of said mast and protruding through the wall of said mast,rods connected with said pawlsand extending down within said mast,transverse levers con nected with said rods, and terminal operatingmeans connected with said levers, whereby the speed of each series ofvehicles may be voluntarily controlled by the operator independently ofthe other series of sweeps.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLEY L. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

ABRAM B. BOWMAN, ELMER E. RODABAUGH.

Uopiea of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. 0.

